Edina, Minn. — Men's league hockey games are held at night in Minnesota if ice time is available. But tonight is different.
“This was Hayden's favorite day of the week,” Ted Larson said. “He always wanted to come here and play.”
Just on January 27th, 22-year-old Hayden Nelson passed away in his sleep. After an autopsy, the cause is still unknown.
“It's been a nightmare,” said his mother, Ann Cansanbach. “I'm in a bit of shock and disbelief. My heart is breaking.”
This evening, Nelson's hockey team will honor him.
“Everywhere he went, he was just the funniest kid around,” said Larson, Nelson's childhood friend and teammate in the men's league.
The league season began just after Christmas. That's when Nelson and his two friends joined the team. Their time together on the ice became shorter.
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“During our seven or eight years of friendship, I never got to play with him,” Larson said. “We finally got to be on the same team. It was really awesome.”
“What my brother wants is for us to stop doing what we've been doing,” said Nelson's brother Hunter. That's why he decided to join the roster instead of his older brother.
“I'm excited to get back and get out there and continue skating again,” Hunter said. “Life gets in the way when you're just doing something fun like skating, so it's great to be back here.”
Nelson's family is taking this time to prioritize their time. A large group of people watching a recreational game on an ordinary evening.
“I've watched both of them play hockey for years,” Kansambac said. “I love watching them skate.”
“It's kind of nice to be able to remember his name in a hockey way,” Larson said.
